Scottish Executive

Air Services

David Mundell (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1O-6183 by Lewis Macdonald on 9 January 2003, what information it has received about whether the interim analysis of the consultation responses to The Future Development of Air Transport in the United Kingdom has now been completed and, if it has been completed, what action it will take within its responsibilities in the short term.

Lewis Macdonald: The consultation for the white paper The Future Development of Air Transport in the UK has been extended to 30 June 2003. Many key stakeholders have yet to formally respond. Officials of the Executive and Department for Transport are currently following up issues raised in the responses that have been received by conducting a series of bilateral meetings.

  Due to the undertaking given to respondents in the consultation documents, no responses or analysis can be made public before the end of the consultation period.

Air Services

Mr Alasdair Morrison (Western Isles) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when it intends to announce its decision on whether to extend its proposed review of Barra air transport provision.

Lewis Macdonald: I have listened to the representations of the Barra community and its elected representatives. I fully appreciate their concerns that a review completed by 30 September 2003 will not be able to assess fully, and in depth, all issues relating to air transport provision, including its impact on other transport modes. I have decided, therefore, that the contract for the Barra to Glasgow air service should be brought into line with the Scottish Executive’s other supported air services and that the service will be secured until 31 March 2006. The review will be undertaken in conjunction with Comhairle nan Eilean Siar and Highlands and Islands Airports Ltd. There will be a new contract from 1 April 2004 to 31 March 2006 and this will be the subject of a further tendering exercise.

Airports

Mr Duncan Hamilton (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it supports the development of Oban Airport.

Lewis Macdonald: The Executive, Highlands and Islands Enterprise and Argyll and Bute Council are currently examining options for extending air services in Argyll and Bute as part of the current review of aviation policy underpinning the white paper The Future Development of Air Transport in the UK . This includes consideration of the future role of Connel airfield near Oban.

Carers

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will instigate an income maximisation campaign for carers to increase benefit take-up and, if so, what steps it plans to take to do so.

Mr Frank McAveety: The UK Government, through the Department for Work and Pensions, is responsible for social security benefits and campaigns to maximise uptake of benefits. Under our Carers Strategy, the Scottish Executive is committed to improving the information available to carers both at national and local level. Later this month we will be launching publicity material to raise carer awareness and to ensure carers can access sources of information and support, including information on financial assistance. At local level, council social work departments and the NHS will be involved in implementing Carer Information Strategies. These strategies will be introduced over the coming months under the Community Care and Health (Scotland) Act 2002 and will seek to ensure that carers are made aware of the wide range of support available to them.

Child Welfare

Donald Gorrie (Central Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-34058 by Cathy Jamieson on 26 February 2003, when the review of the guidance on local authority plans for services for children under section 19 of the Children (Scotland) Act 1995, issued in October 2001, will take place; which department will carry out the review, and what the proposed timetable is.

Cathy Jamieson: The review of guidance on children’s services plans will commence in April 2003 and be concluded later in 2003. The Scottish Executive Education Department will lead on the review but a range of other departments will also have an interest.

Children's Hearings

Mr Alasdair Morrison (Western Isles) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance or advice it gives to local authorities and other public sector employers on time off work for members of children's panels to attend children’s hearings.

Cathy Jamieson: The Scottish Executive has published guidance for employers which explains the statutory right of members of Children’s Panels to reasonable time off work to undertake their duties. The guidance explains the high value to the community of the work undertaken by the panel. The guidance is on the Children’s Hearings website. An awareness raising video was also produced with the involvement of employers supportive of volunteering in the community.

Community Safety

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-33598 by Ms Margaret Curran on 14 February 2003, whether the announcement on neighbourhood wardens will be made before dissolution of the Parliament.

Ms Margaret Curran: The announcement on community wardens was made on 11 March 2003. Copies of the consultation document Building Strong, Safe and Attractive Communities have been placed in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. number 27011).

Dentistry

Mr Mike Rumbles (West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will be able to evaluate the "golden hello" scheme for dentists.

Mrs Mary Mulligan: As the "golden hello" scheme was introduced from 1 August 2002, it will be at least a further year from that date until its full effect becomes evident.

Drug Misuse

Richard Lochhead (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it plans to introduce in order to reduce drug-related crime in the north east.

Hugh Henry: Combating drug misuse, and associated crime, is a police priority. Over the next three years, funding for the Scottish Police Service will increase significantly, with grant aided expenditure for Grampian Police up by £16.7 million (or 23%) to £89.1 million compared with 2002-03. And funding for the Scottish Drug Enforcement Agency, which has a base in the north east and which works closely with Scottish Police Forces and other UK Law enforcement agencies, has also increased. This has led to significant increases over the past few years in drug seizures. And we have set even tougher national targets for the future.

  The work of law enforcement agencies will be backed by a range of other measures. These include, for example, Drug Treatment and Testing Orders, which aim to reduce acquisitive crimes committed to fund drug misuse as well as the level of drug misuse itself. These orders have been available to courts in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire since December 2001.

Economy

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what concerns it has identified in respect of the Scottish Borders’ economy.

Iain Gray: The Executive’s objective for all of Scotland is sustainable improvement in economic performance. A Smart, Successful Scotland  sets out strategic direction to the Enterprise Networks and focuses on three key challenges for raising productivity: growing businesses, global connections and learning and skills.

  In following this direction, Scottish Enterprise Borders takes account of local needs and opportunities. Provision of information on programmes and projects is an operational matter for Scottish Enterprise. The Borders Local Economic Forum, of which Scottish Enterprise Borders is a member, provides a mechanism for co-ordinated delivery of local economic development activities.

Education

Marilyn Livingstone (Kirkcaldy) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to encourage young people to study science in schools.

Nicol Stephen: Following on from the activities of Science Year, the Scottish Executive recently supported a major international conference on 5 March that offered a vision of science education by 2020. In addition, £10 million of new funding was announced by the Executive for school science education over the next three years.

Education

Mr Tom McCabe (Hamilton South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to improve literacy in secondary schools.

Cathy Jamieson: On 4 March I announced that the Scottish Executive would establish a new literacy project that will focus on programmes and practice to develop literacy in P6-S2 classrooms.

  We will also continue the work set out in the National Statement for Literacy, published on 18 June 2002, which provides support for education authorities, schools and teachers to raise standards of literacy.

Education

Paul Martin (Glasgow Springburn) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many school leavers in the Glasgow Springburn parliamentary constituency area left school and attained a higher qualification at a further or higher education institution compared with the national average in each of the last five years.

Iain Gray: Information on students attending further education colleges (FECs) and higher education institutions (HEIs) in Scotland is not published at the required level of geographic disaggregation. Although some information is held centrally on the home postcode of students attending FECs and HEIs in Scotland, this information is incomplete and is not suitable for publication.

Employment

Dorothy-Grace Elder (Glasgow) (Ind): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any emergency plans in respect of the termination on 31 March 2003 of an employment programme for 300 people by the East End Partnership Ltd and Glasgow Access to Training and Employment Ltd following budget reductions by Scottish Enterprise.

Iain Gray: This scheme is being discontinued throughout Scotland. There are now alternative training programmes such as New Deal, Glasgow Works and the Glasgow Challenge which permit Scottish Enterprise Glasgow to support the same people in ways which are better suited to the current jobs market. There is therefore no need for any emergency plans to be devised.

Enterprise

Andrew Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the First Minister what action the Scottish Executive is taking to ensure that it has the full confidence of the business community.

Mr Jack McConnell: We will build confidence in the business community through regular dialogue and by pursuing the right enterprise strategy for Scotland. We listen to business and their suggestions, as our important enterprise in education announcement earlier this week demonstrates.

Enterprise

Dennis Canavan (Falkirk West): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking following recent criticisms of Scottish Enterprise.

Iain Gray: I requested a report from Scottish Enterprise in respect of recent allegations in the press. I have received this and consider that it responds satisfactorily to allegations. I am making the report available through the Parliament’s Reference Centre and a copy has also been sent to Audit Scotland. I asked my department to approach Audit Scotland and in response the Auditor General has confirmed that Audit Scotland’s planned audit for the financial year 2002-03 will include an examination, among other matters, of expenditure on consultants and major projects.

Ferry Services

George Lyon (Argyll and Bute) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how it plans to take forward its proposals to tender the Gourock to Dunoon ferry service, currently operated by Caledonian MacBrayne.

Lewis Macdonald: I have today published, for consultation, the draft Invitation to Tender (ITT) which includes the service specification for the Gourock to Dunoon ferry service currently operated by Caledonian MacBrayne. This sets out our proposals for tendering. I have also published an accompanying consultation document Proposals for Tendering Gourock to Dunoon Ferry Services which explains the principles set out in the service specification and seeks views on options.

  As for the draft Invitation to Tender in respect of the main Clyde and Hebrides contract, at the heart of these proposals is the Executive’s commitment to protecting existing levels of fares and service whilst complying with EU rules.

  The service specification is in line with the proposals announced on 29 January which keep open the possibility of a vehicle service. The consultation period will close on 30 May 2003. I hope to see responses from all those with an interest.

  In the meantime, I will be publishing a Prior Information Notice in the Official Journal of the European Commission. This is not part of the formal tendering process but will alert operators to proposals and ensure that they can take part in the consultative process too. I will consider responses to the consultation in making decisions about the final Invitation to Tender.

Fisheries

Tavish Scott (Shetland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress it has made in developing a strategic framework for the aquaculture industry.

Allan Wilson: I shall officially launch the Strategic Framework for Aquaculture at the Sea Change Conference in Dunblane on 24 March.

Health

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the current provision of accident and emergency units in Glasgow is sufficient.

Mr Frank McAveety: This is primarily a matter for NHS Greater Glasgow.

Health

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many patients have received a daily dose in excess of (a) 500 mls, (b) 300 mls, (c) 200 mls and (d) 110 mls of methadone in each of the last five years, broken down by hospital, and what the clinical rationale and research base are for each level of dosage.

Hugh Henry: The information requested is not held centrally.

  There is a great deal of international and national research to support the use of methadone as an effective treatment for opiate misuse. Dosages of methadone and the duration of treatment are matters for individual patients and their health professionals.

Higher Education

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will publish the outcome of its review of higher education.

Iain Gray: I can today announce the publication of the outcome of the second phase of the review of higher education in Scotland: A Framework for Higher Education in Scotland. Higher Education Review: Phase 2 . This paper brings together the conclusions of an 18-month programme of wide-ranging consultation and discussion on the future of higher education in Scotland.

  This paper sets out: a framework for the relationships between government and higher education; the Executive's priorities for teaching and learning, research and knowledge transfer, and governance and management over the next decade, and actions to be taken to address these. Its publication follows that of Life Through Learning - Learning Through Life: The Lifelong Learning Strategy for Scotland on 11 February 2003.

  The Executive will work with the funding councils, higher education institutions and others with an interest in higher education to take forward this work.

  Copies of the paper have been placed in the Parliament’s Reference Centre.

Higher Education

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what is being done to consider the implications for Scotland of the white paper on higher education in England published by the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) in January 2003.

Iain Gray: I have met with Charles Clarke MP, Secretary of State for Education and Skills, and agreed to regular meetings at ministerial level to ensure that Scottish interests are taken into account as DfES Ministers take forward their proposals for England. I have also had two constructive meetings with representative bodies of further and higher education in Scotland.

  Today I am publishing the outcome of the 18-month review of higher education in Scotland, A Framework for Higher Education in Scotland. Higher Education Review: Phase 2, which sets out how we believe the HE sector in Scotland needs to develop over the next 10 years. Part of the context for taking this forward are the long-term implications for Scotland of the proposed changes in the funding regime in England and other issues. It has been agreed a further phase of review will be undertaken to address these. The next stage will be for the Executive, working closely with representative bodies, to consider the remit for this work.

Housing

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what advice it has given to Glasgow Housing Association Ltd regarding applying for charitable status.

Ms Margaret Curran: The decision by any registered social landlord to apply for charitable status is one for them alone. The change to charitable status requires the agreement of both the Inland Revenue and Communities Scotland.

Justice

Michael Russell (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether any fingerprint evidence brought by the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service in criminal cases in the last five years from experts working for the Scottish Criminal Records Office (SCRO) arose from a technique employed by that office that can be, and has been, tested against national and international best practice; if so, what testing against such best practice has been undertaken in respect of such evidence and what the results of the tests were.

Michael Russell (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether any fingerprint evidence brought by the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service in criminal cases in the last five years from experts working for the Scottish Criminal Records Office arises from a technique, as operated by that office, that has been subjected to peer review and publication and, if so, what peer review and publication.

Michael Russell (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether fingerprint evidence brought by the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service in criminal cases in the last five years from experts working for the Scottish Criminal Records Office has been scrutinised in the light of known or potential rates of error for the technique used in relation to this evidence and against the international standards controlling that technique’s operation and, if so, what scrutiny has been undertaken and what the results of such scrutiny were.

Mr Jim Wallace: The report of Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary's (HMIC) Primary Inspection 2000 of SCRO’s Fingerprint Bureau provides detailed information about, among other things, process, quality, standards and performance at the time of the inspection. The report can be found on the HMIC Website at http://www.scotland.gov.uk/hmic/docs/fppi-00.asp . Further detailed information may also be found in the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland Presidential Review Report at this address http://www.scottish.police.uk/main/campaigns/interim/interim.htm .

  I have also asked the SCRO to write to the member about action taken to review Fingerprint Bureau practice.

Justice

Michael Russell (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-31829 by Mr Jim Wallace on 3 December 2002, whether the fingerprint experts who gave evidence in the case of Shirley McKie have now given any evidence in court under oath since returning to work from suspension and whether it expects them to give any such evidence in court again and, if so, when.

Mr Jim Wallace: The officers concerned have not yet given evidence under oath as Crown experts. They are being assessed over the next month or so by the Scottish Criminal Record Office (SCRO) as part of the return to work strategy. If, thereafter, SCRO is satisfied that they should be allowed to undertake work which would involve giving evidence in court, the Crown Office will be advised accordingly. At that stage it would be for the Crown to indicate whether it would be content to receive reports from these experts.

Justice

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to introduce legislation to ensure that funds specifically exempt from arrestment such as social security benefits and working families' tax credits cannot be arrested by sheriff officers if these funds are contained within a bank account.

Mr Jim Wallace: The Scottish Executive is committed to continuing the existing principle of protecting subsistence levels of income from arrestment. It recognises that there can be practical difficulties in achieving this when benefits are paid direct into a bank account, and it consulted on possible ways to tackle this issue in the consultation document Enforcement of Civil  Obligations in Scotland in April 2002. An independent analysis of the responses was published in November 2002. Both these documents are available on the Scottish Executive website at:

  http://www.scotland.gov.uk/consultations/justice/CivOb-00.asp. and

  http://www.scotland.gov.uk/socialresearch.

  Views were divided on the question, and the Executive is now working to find a practical solution. It is intended to come forward with proposals in due course: but decisions on the way forward will be for the future administration following the elections in May 2003.

Licensing

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when the task group reviewing the licensing provisions in the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 will report.

Peter Peacock: I am advised that the independent task group hope to be in a position to submit its report to ministers by June.

Licensing

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made with the review of the licensing provisions in the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982.

Peter Peacock: The independent task group is currently considering the responses received to its consultation exercise which was completed late last year, which included a number of new licensing proposals, and other issues which ministers subsequently asked it to consider.

National Parks

Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to review the boundaries of the Cairngorms National Park.

Ross Finnie: We have no plans to do so. We took account of all relevant considerations when proposing the boundaries for the park. We had to strike a balance between the desirability of including certain areas for their natural heritage importance and the need to establish a park with a coherent identity.

Nitrate Vulnerable Zones

Nora Radcliffe (Gordon) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive when the Nitrate Vulnerable Zones (Grants) (Scotland) Scheme will be launched.

Ross Finnie: The scheme will be launched in mid April. Farmers in Nitrate Vulnerable Zones will be notified when they receive their copy of the action programme guidance. Guidance on the grant scheme, application forms and ranking advice will be available to the farming community from local Scottish Executive Environment and Rural Affairs Department Area Offices. The closing date for the first tranche of applications will be 30 June 2003.

  The scheme is subject to EC approval and no decisions will be made on applications until such time as approval has been obtained.

Ophthalmic Services

John Farquhar Munro (Ross, Skye and Inverness West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether retinal imaging is included in free tests on the NHS and what the reasons are for the position on this matter.

Malcolm Chisholm: Every NHS sight test includes a form of retinal imaging – normally the observation of the fundus (the back of the eye) using an ophthalmoscope on the patient’s undilated eye.

  Digital imaging procedures may be used in screening programmes for diabetic retinopathy. It is for NHS boards to decide how screening is delivered by health professionals in their areas, including by optometrists and ophthalmic medical practitioners.

Public Sector

Maureen Macmillan (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress it is making in its policy on the location and relocation of public sector jobs.

Ross Finnie: We have made good progress, in addition to the 650 posts already dispersed throughout Scotland under this policy a number of relocation reviews are nearing conclusion and the results will be announced shortly.

  And today I am announcing that around 250 posts from the Edinburgh Headquarters of Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) will be relocated to Inverness by April 2005. Detailed work in partnership with SNH, the unions and the Executive will take place to ensure a smooth transition.

Recycling

Nora Radcliffe (Gordon) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to stimulate the market for recycled goods.

Ross Finnie: The development of markets for recycled goods is a key objective of our National Waste Plan. The Executive supports two market development initiatives - the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) and Recycling Market Development (REMADE) Scotland to help achieve this objective.

  WRAP operates on a UK-wide level to create stable and efficient markets for recycled materials and products through its five material programmes and work on standards, procurement and financial mechanisms. REMADE Scotland aims to stimulate, develop and strengthen recyclate material markets in Scotland.

Regeneration

Dr Sylvia Jackson (Stirling) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to regenerate deprived communities.

Ms Margaret Curran: Both the Community Regeneration Statement and the Social Justice Annual Report published last year set out the action being taken by the Scottish Executive to regenerate deprived communities across Scotland.

  As I indicated earlier this week in Stirling we are fully committed to building on initiatives that close the opportunity gap.

Scottish Outdoor Access Code

Rhona Brankin (Midlothian) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when the Scottish Outdoor Access Code is to be finalised.

Ross Finnie: The drafting of the Scottish Outdoor Access Code is a matter for Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH). Section 10 of the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 places a duty on Scottish Natural Heritage to draw up the Scottish Outdoor Access Code. We understand that a draft code will be issued for consultation by SNH on 26 March 2003.

Teachers

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance has been given to local authorities on the implementation of the McCrone settlement in relation to promoted posts.

Nicol Stephen: The Scottish Executive has not issued guidance to local authorities in relation to the implementation of new promoted post structures.

  The new promoted post structure is detailed in the agreement A Teaching Profession for the 21st Century which was negotiated on a tripartite basis with representatives from local authorities, teacher organisations and the Scottish Executive.

  The agreement provides local authorities with the flexibility to determine staffing structures which best suit their local requirements.

Teachers

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has received about the proposed promoted posts structure for teachers in the Argyll and Bute Council area.

Nicol Stephen: The Scottish Executive has not received any representations about the proposed promoted posts structure for teachers in the Argyll and Bute Council area.

Tenements (Scotland) Bill

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when the consultation paper on the proposed Tenements (Scotland) Bill will be published and how long the consultation period will be.

Mr Jim Wallace: The Consultation Paper on the proposed Tenements (Scotland) Bill is published today. The bill is based upon the recommendations of the Scottish Law Commission in their 1998 Report on the Law of the Tenement (Scot Law Com No 162). The draft bill included in the paper is an updated version of the commission’s draft bill. It has been revised to take account of the provisions of the Abolition of Feudal Tenure etc. (Scotland) Act 2000 and the Title Conditions (Scotland) Bill which passed Stage 3 on 26 February.

  I would like to thank the Scottish Law Commission for all their exhaustive and meticulous work in reviewing the current law of tenements and in proposing modernising reforms.

  The bill will modernise and re-state the law of the tenement in modern statutory language. It sets out a framework for the management and maintenance of tenements which should make it easier for owners in a tenement to reach agreement on matters of mutual interest and concern and to ensure that their homes are well maintained.

  Any decision on the introduction of the Tenements Bill will be for the incoming administration after the election.

  Copies of the Consultation Paper will be sent to the relevant Parliamentary Committees and will be available in the Parliament’s Reference Centre. Further copies will be available from Deirdre Duffy, Scottish Executive Justice Department, 2nd floor West Rear, St Andrews House, Regent Road, Edinburgh, EH1 3DG.

  A 12-week consultation period will follow, with the closing date for responses being Friday, 13 June 2003.

Tourism

John Farquhar Munro (Ross, Skye and Inverness West) (LD): To ask the First Minister how VisitScotland plans to help safeguard the tourism industry in the light of international events.

Mr Jack McConnell: Despite heightened international tension, Scotland remains a safe destination. There is no need for potential visitors from the rest of the UK or abroad to be concerned about visiting Scotland.

  But VisitScotland has contingency plans, and has formed a joint action group with the tourism industry to look at what additional action should be taken to promote Scottish tourism, should this prove necessary.

Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body

Holyrood Project

Tommy Sheridan (Glasgow) (SSP): To ask the Presiding Officer whether the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body includes in its contracts for the construction of the new Parliament building at Holyrood the requirement that companies comply with legal obligations to self-employed workers with Construction Industry Scheme (CIS) 4 status in relation to their entitlement to 20 days’ holiday per year and, if so, whether all companies so employed are complying with such regulations.

Sir David Steel: Trade Contractors appointed by the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body are required to comply with all relevant statutory requirements, including those contained in the Construction Industry Scheme. The Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body is not aware that any appointed Trade Contractors are in breach of any of those statutory requirements.

Holyrood Project

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Presiding Officer whether there has been any change to the latest estimate of £324 million of the cost of the Holyrood project; if so, what the estimate is now; whether the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body (SPCB) will inform the public of any change to the costs in the period between 31 March and 1 May 2003; whether project management on a monthly basis reviews and reports costs as suggested in recommendation 27(g) of the report by the Auditor General The New Scottish Parliament building: An examination of the management of the Holyrood project of September 2000, and, if so, when the next reports are due to be made between now and 1 May 2003 and whether their main findings in relation to costs will be made public.

Sir David Steel: There has been no change to the estimate of cost as last reported to the Finance Committee. Costs are kept under constant review by the Cost Consultant and by Project Management and reports are made on a fortnightly basis to the Holyrood Progress Group (HPG). In addition, reports are made to the SPCB on a monthly basis and to the Finance Committee quarterly. The next report is due to be made to the HPG on 26 March and to the SPCB during April. There is at present no reason for these reports to be made public, in line with practice to date.